Free-wheeling scorer head



Sept. 11, 1962 A. PALAMENTI 3,053,154

FREE-WHEELING SCORER HEAD Filed June 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FROG COR RUGATOB NVHV TOR. 44 5527' 844075 .1",

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TTOPA/EK p 11, 1962 A. PALAMENTI 3,053,154

FREE-WHEELING SCORER HEAD Filed June 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 4. Q' -M'QWQ.

a7- TQEA/ United States atent O 3,053,154 FREE-WHEELING SCORER HEAD Albert Palamenti, Saddle Brook, N.J., assiguor to Koppers Company, Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 26, 1961, Ser. No. 119,585 Claims. (Cl. 93-582) The present invention relates to machines for forming fiberboard blanks into completed tubular boxes and more particularly to means for impressing score lines upon corrugated or other fiberboard blanks to define the various Walls and flaps.

In the operation of forming a piece of corrugated board or other type of fibrous material into a box, the typical operation is to trim, score and cut out a plurality of slots in a blank of the material. After execution of these operations the completed blank will have score lines defining the various walls and flaps and slots separating the flaps from each other in order to enable the flaps to be folded relative to each other to form a closure.

The requisite scoring, slitting and slotting operations are performed by pairs of co-acting members mounted on parallel co-acting shafts so oriented relative to the corrugated web that the web passes between the co-acting pairs of members which are known as scoring, slitting or slotting heads. It has been found that the slotting and slitting operations are best performed when the male slotting or slitting head rotates at an angular velocity whereby the circumferential velocity of the cutting edge is approximately two times the speed of travel of the web or board. The female slotting or slitting head is, of course, moving at approximately board speed. The scoring operation, on the other hand, is best performed when the male scoring head rotates at an angular velocity whereby the circumferential velocity of the scoring bead is exactly the same as the speed of travel of the board.

In the slotting or slitting operation the velocity conditions described provide the neatest cut in the web and in the scoring operation the velocity conditions described prevent burning of the score lines into the board as would be the case when the scoring bead travels faster than the board. It is, therefore, readily appreciated that the ideal angular velocity for the scoring operation would require a shaft rotational speed inappropriate for the slotting or slitting operations and vice versa.

As a result, most box manufacturing machines mount the scoring heads on separate shafts from the heads used for slotting or slitting in order that different rotational speeds may be given to the separate shafts thereby to perform all functions under ideal velocity conditions. Some machines, of course, have mounted both the scoring heads and the slotting (or slitting) heads on the same shaft but in such case the rotational speed of the shaft is so chosen as to minimize burning by the scoring head and yet enable the slotting (or slitting) heads to produce as neat a slot as possible under these limiting conditions. Neither operation can be conducted under optimum conditions.

In view of the considerable economies which can be efiected by mounting the scoring and slotting (or slitting) heads on the same shaft the merit of the present invention will be readily appreciated, since by the use of this novel arrangement, scoring heads and slotting (or slitting) heads each rotating at optimum angular velocities may be mounted on the same shaft. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a scoring head having means whereby an outer annular portion of the scoring head upon Which the scoring bead is located may be rotated at a different rotational speed from the rotational speed of the shaft upon which the scoring head is mounted.

Another object is to provide a scoring head composed 3,53,154 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 of two concentric rings such that the outer ring may be made to rotate at a speed different from the speed of the inner ring which is secured to a rotating shaft.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a twopiece scoring head made with an inner ring and an outer ring, the outer ring being arranged circumferentially around the inner ring and anti-friction means being provided between the outer circumference of the inner ring and the inner circumference of the outer ring such that the outer ring is free to rotate about the inner ring while being supported and aligned thereby.

Various other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a rotatable frame commonly employed in a slitting and scoring machine having three duplicate pairs of parallel co-acting shafts mounted thereon,

FIG. 2 is a view showing the arrangement of a pair of parallel co-acting shafts having mounted thereon scoring heads embodying the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a pair of co-acting scoring heads embodying the present invention.

As illustrated in the drawings, there are provided three duplicate pairs of parallel co-acting shafts 10 and 11 mounted on a rotatable frame having end frame members 12, 13 secured to a normally stationary central shaft 14 journaled in stationary supports such as support 15 in .on the web material 16 such as corrugated board as it passes therebetween. These members may include two pairs of co-acting slitting heads (not shown) for trimming the margins of the web as it advances through the machine to give it straight edges and to reduce it to the desired width. Any desired number of pairs of co-acting slitting heads 17, 18 may be provided for subdividing the web 16 longitudinally into the desirable number of sections of proper width as shown in FIG. 1. Also, as shown, any required number of pairs of scoring heads 19, 21 may be mounted on shafts 10 and 11 for scoring or creasing sheet 16 or subdivisions thereof to provide fold lines. In order to provide a variety of production settings each pair of heads is mounted for adjustment longitudinally along shafts 10 and 11 whereby scores, slots and slits may be properly located in the advancing web or board.

The drive for shafts 10 and 11 is provided by drive shaft 22 which is provided with suitable clutch means (not shown). Drive shaft 22 by means of gears 23, 24 and 26 causes shaft 10 to rotate at approximately two times the angular velocity of shaft 11. In this manner annular disc blade 27 on male slitter head 17 will have a circumferential velocity of approximately two times the speed of the advancing web 16. The circumferential velocity of female annular disc blades 28 is approximately the same as web -16 (board speed). As a result of the moving of annular disc blades 27 and 28 at their respective velocities the shearing action occurring between blades 27 and 28 produces a neat cut through web 16.

While it is of distinct advantage to carry out the slitting (or slotting) operation with shaft 10 rotating at twice the speed of shaft 11, if the scoring operation were performed with scoring bead 29 moving at a circumferential velocity of twice the board speed, the score lines would be burned into web 16 rather than being pressed therein as desired. In order to execute both the cutting and the scoring operations under optimum conditions, the present novel arrangement for the male scoring head 19 has been devised.

As shown in section in FIG. 2 and in elevation in FIG. 3 male scoring head 19 is formed of two ring portions, an inner ring or hub portion 31 and outer ring 32. As is shown in FIG. 3, inner ring 31 is formed in two halves for ease of assembly with the two halves being joined together by means of brackets 33. Outer ring 32 is likewise split in half as is shown and is assembled with brackets 34-. Inner ring 31 fits within the inner circumference of outer ring 32 and anti-friction means such as sliding, rolling or fiat bearing surfaces are provided between inner ring 31 and outer ring 32 to enable outer ring 32 to rotate freely relative to inner ring 31.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 the outer circumference of inner ring 31 is provided with grooved raceway 36. In juxtaposition thereto grooved raceway 37 is formed in the inner circumference of outer ring 32. Located in these grooved raceways 36 and 37 are a plurality of ball bearings 38 providing the requisite freewheeling action between the outer ring 32. and inner ring 31.

Therefore, in operation although male slitting head 17 and male scoring heads .19 are mounted on the same shaft (shaft and this shaft is rotated at approximately twice the rotational speed of shaft 11 upon which is mounted the female members 18, 21 of the co-acting pairs of slitting and scoring heads 17, 18, 19, 21, both the slitting (or slotting, if desired) operation and the scoring operation are performed under optimum velocity conditions. That is, the circumferential speed of annular disc blade 27 is ap proximately two times the speed of web 16 while the circumferential speed of scoring bead 29 is exactly the same as the speed of web 16 regardless of the rotational speed of shaft 10, since the outer ring 32 is rotated by the web 16 as it passes between scoring heads 17 and 19.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teach- .ings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed:

;1. In a machine for performing cutting and scoring operations on a longitudinally advancing sheet of blank material, which machine has a pair of power-drivenparallel shafts having at least one pair of co-acting cutting heads adjustably affixed thereto and driven thereby, one of said shafts carrying the first member of the pair of coacting cutting heads and the other of said shafts carrying the other member of said pair of co-acting cutting heads, the combination with said parallel shafts of means for driving the parallel shafts at ditferent speeds, a free-wheeling male scoring head mounted on the faster rotating shaft and a female scoring head co-acting with said male scoring head afiixed to the other shaft for rotation thereby, said male scoring head having an outer annular portion, an inner annular portion concentric with said outer annular portion adjustably aifixed to said faster rotating shaft and driven thereby, said inner portion having a first raceway formed in the outer circumference thereof, said outer 4 shafts having at least one pair of co-acting cutting heads adjustably affixed thereto and driven thereby, one of said shafts carrying the male cutting head and the other of said shafts carrying the female cutting head, the combination with said parallel shafts of means for driving said one of said shafts faster than said other of said shafts, a male free-wheeling scoring head mounted on said one of said shafts and a female scoring head co-acting with said male scoring head afiixed to said other of said shafts for rotation thereby, said male scoring head having an outer annular portion, an inner portion concentric with said outer annular portion and fitting within the inner circumference thereof, said inner portion being adjustably afiixed to said one of said shafts and anti-friction means interposed between said outer portion and said inner portion.

3. In a machine for performing cutting and scoring operations on a longitudinally advancing sheet of blank material, which machine has a pair of power-driven parallel shafts, one of said shafts rotatably driving the male member of a pair of co-acting cutting heads and the other of said shafts rotatably driving the female member of said pair of co-acting cutting heads, the combination with said parallelshafts of means for driving said one of said shafts at a speed faster than the speed of said other of said shafts, a male scoring head mounted on said one of said shafts, said male scoring head having at least the portion thereof bearing the scoring head freely rotatable relative to said one of said shafts and a female scoring head co-acting with said male scoring head aflixed to said other of said shafts, for rotation thereby.

4. In a machine for performing cutting and scoring operations on a longitudinally advancing sheet of blank material the combination comprising a pair of powerdriven shafts, male web-cutting means affixed to one of said shafts for rotation thereby, female web-cutting means co-acting with said male web-cutting means afiixed to the other of said shafts for rotation thereby,

a male scoring head mounted on said one of said shafts and a female scoring head co-acting with said male scoring head affixed to said other of said shafts for rotation thereby, said male scoring head having at least the portion thereof bearing the scoring head freely rotatable relative to said one of said shafts.

5. In a machine for performing cutting and scoring operations on a longitudinally advancing sheet ofmateri al the combination comprising a pair of power-driven shafts, male web-cutting means affixed to one of'said shafts for rotation thereby, female web-cutting means co-acting with said male web-cutting means aifixed to the other of said shafts for rotation thereby, means for driving said one of said shafts at a speed faster than the speed of said other of said shafts, a male scoring head mounted on said one of said shafts anda female scoring head co-acting with said male scoring head affixed to said other of said shafts for rotation thereby, said male scoring head having an outer annular portion, an inner portion concentric therewith and fitting within the inner circumference of said outer annular portion and anti-friction means disposed between said inner and outer portions, said inner portion being adjustably aifixed to said one of said shafts and rotated thereby, said outer portion being freely rotatable relative to said inner portion regardless of the angular velocity thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,360,076 Bassaler Nov. 23, 1920 2,019,499 Maher Nov. 5,-1935 2,102,170 Stern Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N00 3,053,154 September 11 1962 Albert Palamenti It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered pat ent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4 lines 27 and 42 for "head", each occurrence read bead Signed and sealed this 5th day of November 1963.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST We SWIDER EDWIN L, REYNOLDS Attesting Officer A ting Commissioner 0f Patents 

